Welcome to our Max-Planck research group in theory of correlated systems out of equilibrium!

The group has been started in October 2011 within the Max-Planck research department for structural dynamics at CFEL. Its research will be focused on cooperative effects in the nonequilibrium dynamics of interacting many-particle systems, such as correlated electrons, phonons and spins under continuous or pump-like driving forces, or ultra-cold atoms in optical lattices. In those systems, we are looking at phenomena like long-lived hidden phases that can be reached along non-thermal excitation pathways, driven steady states far from linear response, or dynamical phase transitions.

To shed light on such issues, we will use dynamical mean-field theory (DMFT) and its extensions, adapted to simulate the real-time evolution of suitable microscopic model systems. A crucial part of the research will be the development of numerical methods that can deal with the quantum dynamics at long times. Future methods will have to combine todays state-of-the-art numerical approaches - Quantum Monte Carlo, systematic perturbation expansions, and exact diagonalization.